The present invention is directed to a method for maintaining virtual connections between calling and called subscriber equipment given at least a partial outage of connecting paths defined for the virtual connections.
In telecommunication switching networks it is usually possible to connect network interfaces to one another to produce internal connections between subscriber equipment of one and the same telecommunication switching network, as well as, to produce external connections between subscriber equipment of different telecommunication switching networks using the network interfaces. The respective type of connection defined from calling subscriber equipment by transmitting appropriate signalling information, for example in the form of selection digits. In the case of packet switching networks that are connected to one another by network interfaces, the request for an internal or external virtual connection can be provided from calling subscriber equipment in that an address information specifying the respective type of connection in an address field of a call request packet serving the purpose of initiating a call set up, is transmitted to the switching equipment that is connected to the appertaining calling subscriber equipment.